Blog Tag: judith whitmore

This curried chicken recipe came from The Egg & The Eye, a combination restaurant/art gallery that used to be across the street from the L.A. County Museum. It closed many years ago, but I was lucky enough to get this recipe from one of the waiters. Enjoy!

Ingredients: 

4-5 chicken breasts, halved

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup coarsely cut prunes

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup cooked or canned seedless white grapes

4 papayas

lettuce leaves

tomato wedges

Curry Dressing:

1 cup whipping cream

1/3 cup mayonnaise

curry powder, to taste (I use a lot)

salt, pepper

Directions:

Cook chicken in boiling salted water until tender. Drain and cool. Cut into chunks.

Combine chicken with celery, prunes, raisins, grapes, and curry dressing. Toss to mix well. Chill.

Cut papayas into halves and remove seeds. Spoon chicken salad into papaya cavities.

Serve on lettuce leaf and garnish with tomato wedges.

Dressing:

Whisk together whipping cream, mayonnaise, and curry powder to taste until smooth.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Image via Pinterest

This easy & delicious Carrot Cake recipe is perfect for Easter. I like to bake some of this batter in mini muffin pans. Each muffin is about two bites!

Ingredients:

2 cups flour (sift first, then measure)

2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. cloves

3 eggs

3/4 cup oil

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 cups sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

8 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained (reserve juice)

2 cups grated carrots

3-1/2 oz. shredded coconut

1 cup chopped walnuts

Frosting (if desired):

2 oz soft cream cheese

3-4 Tbsp. of reserved pineapple juice

4-5 cups sifted powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Sift together the flour, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, cinnamon, and cloves in a bowl. Set aside.

Beat together the above ingredients.

Begin by beating the eggs. Add the oil, beat well.

Add the buttermilk, beat well. Add the sugar and vanilla, beat well.

Blend the dry ingredients into this mixture.

Add the following to the batter: crushed pineapple, grated carrots, shredded coconut, and chopped walnuts.

Bake in a 9″ x 13″ pan, or bunt pan approx. 55 minutes at 350 degrees.

Frosting (if desired):

Beat the cream cheese and pineapple juice. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until fluffy.

(Photo Credit: Pinterest)

Whether you are feeling under the weather or just want to warm up, this easy & delicious recipe is great for the whole family. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 chicken, cut in pieces

1 onion, cut into quarters

3 carrots, cut into two-inch lengths

3 celery stalks, cut into two-inch lengths

1 small parsnip

Generous amount of parsley sprigs

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Put ingredients into a large pot. Add enough cold water to cover by 1″.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer.

Occasionally skim off the foam that rises to the top. Cook about 1 hour.

Discard parsley, and cool until fat rises to the surface. Skim off fat. Heat, and serve with noodles or matzo balls in these fun bowls!

(Photo Credit: Pinterest)

Every holiday, my friends request this recipe! Be sure to check out my cookbook, All Time Favorite Recipes, for more recipes from family and friends. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 pounds red-skinned yams

1/2 cup whipping cream

6 Tbsp. butter

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

3 Tbsp. bourbon

1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground allspice

3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roast yams on rimmed baking sheet until tender, about 1 hour.

Cool slightly. Scoop inside of yams into large bowl. Discard skins.

Mash yams into coarse puree.

Stir cream and butter into hot yams.

Stir in syrup, bourbon and all spices.

Season with salt & pepper. Sprinkle nuts over and serve.

DO AHEAD. Can be prepared 1 day ahead.

Cover & chill. Re-warm in microwave.

Sprinkle nuts over and serve.

(Photo Credit: Pinterest)

I have made this Sweet Potato Casserole many times at Thanksgiving. Everyone loves this recipe. Be sure to check out my cookbook, All Time Favorite Recipes, for more recipes from family and friends. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1-1/2 lb. sweet potatoes

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

3 Tbsp. butter, cubed

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp. butter

1/2 cup pecan pieces

Pecan halves (optional)

Peel sweet potatoes, and cut into cubes. Cook, covered, in a small amount of boiling water for about 30 minutes or until tender. Drain.

Combine hot sweet potatoes, granulated sugar, milk, egg, the 3 Tbsp. butter and vanilla. With a wooden spoon, stir to break up potatoes but not completely mash them.

Put mixture into a greased 2-quart square baking dish.

Combine brown sugar and flour; cut in 2 Tbsp. butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Stir in pecan pieces and sprinkle crumb mixture on top of potatoes.

Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven about 25 minutes or till set.

Garnish with pecan halves, if desired.

Makes 8 servings as a side dish.

(Photo Credit: Pinterest)

May 13 is National Apple Pie Day. I have never really mastered the art of traditional pie crust. Instead, when I get a craving, I turn to apple cobblers and apple crisps. One of the reasons I like these dishes over apple pie is the ease of preparation. Cobblers and crisps can be whipped up in no time while pies take a little longer. And pie crusts can be temperamental. If you don’t treat them right they end up tough and dense. Here are two of my very favorite recipes. The first is for Apple Cobbler. It’s a variation on a recipe from William’s Sonoma from years ago. The second is a recipe for my brother Bill’s Apple Crisp. It’s simply delicious! Enjoy!

Apple Cobbler

½ cup sugar
1 ½ Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsalted butter
3 lb. Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. Fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. Vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. Baking powder
1/4 tsp. Salt
2 Tbsp. Unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes
1/3 cup crystalized ginger, chopped
zest from one orange
1 cup heavy cream, plus cream for brushing

For filling: Combine sugar and flour. In large saute pan, melt butter. Stir in apples, lemon juice and sugar mixture. Cover partially and cook until tender, 20 minutes. Stir in vanilla, let cool, then transfer to buttered 1-1/2 qt. pie dish.

For crust: Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in bowl. Using pastry blender or fingertips, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in ginger. Combine cream and orange zest. Stir cream-zest mixture into flour mixture, just until it holds together. Gather into ball and with floured hands on floured work surface, knead briefly until soft, then roll out a little larger than the pie dish. Transfer to dish, trim off excess. Cut small hole in center for steam to escape. If you wish, cut out leftover pastry into fancy shapes and decorate the crust; brush cream underneath the pieces to make them stick.

Bake at 425° for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375° and bake until golden, 20 – 25 minutes longer.

Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm. Serves 6 to 8.

Apple Crisp

6 apples, peeled and roughly chopped
1 ½ tsp. Cinnamon
1 cup flour
1 stick butter (½ cup)
1 cup brown sugar

Put apples into greased baking dish.

With a fork, work together the flour, butter cinnamon, and sugar until crumbly. Sprinkle mixture over apples.

Bake at 350° for 40 minutes.
Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Yummy!

(Image via Pinterest)

I am a huge fan of recipes that can be made in advance.  When I have friends over, I want to be able to enjoy my time with them.  So I try to prepare as much in advance as I can.  I’m going to share with you one of my favorite hors d’oeuvre recipes.  It can be made a day ahead.  Just cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  Take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving so it can soften.  This never fails to get rave reviews.  Enjoy!

Easy Smoked Trout Pate

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 lb. Smoked trout, skin discarded and fish chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

Stir together shallot, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, then beat in cream cheese, trout, and ½ teaspoon pepper with a spoon until combined well.  Stir in chives.

Serve with crackers.  It can also be used as a filling for Belgian endive leaves.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! So…we’ve been partying, and eating Christmas Cookies, and drinking Champagne, and going to the end-of-the-year blockbuster movies instead of the gym.  After the holiday excess, it’s now time to get back on track.  Here is a simply delicious recipe to celebrate the start of a new year.  You’ll need a mandolin to slice the vegetables.  It’s good enough to serve to guests…and even though it’s lasagne, there’s lots of veggies in each serving! Enjoy!

Low-Cal Vegetable Lasagne

½ pound fresh or dried lasagne noodles
1 pound carrots
1 pound zucchini
1 cup (8 3/4-oz.) Part skim ricotta cheese
1 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp. Chopped fresh oregano
½ tsp. Fresh ground pepper
12 ounces (about 8 cups) fresh spinach
3 cups Red Sauce (recipe follows)
1 ½ cups shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

Bring large pot of salted water to boil.  Add noodles and cook until just tender (about 2 minutes for fresh, 10 minutes for dried). Drain. Place noodles in cold water until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 375°.  With mandolin or kitchen slicer at thinnest setting, cut carrots and zucchini lengthwise into paper-thin strips.

Mix ricotta cheese, basil, oregano, 1/4 teaspoon salt and the pepper in small bowl.

Trim noodles to fit 13″ x 9″ glass baking dish; layer one third of the noodles on the bottom. Layer half the spinach, then half the carrots and zucchini. Top with half the ricotta mixture.  Repeat, layering another third of the noodles and remaining vegetables and cheese. Top with noodles. Cover with foil.

Bake 35 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

Cut lasagne into 6 squares and transfer to jelly-roll pan.  Preheat broiler.  Top each square with ½ cup warm Red Sauce and 2 tablespoons mozzarella.  Broil 2 minutes.  Pass remaining sauce.

Makes 6 servings

Red Sauce

Combine 1 can (28 oz.) Plum tomatoes with their juice, 3/4 cup chopped carrots, ½ cup chopped celery, ½ cup chopped onion, 1 can (13 – 14 ox.) Chicken broth plus enough water to equal 2 cups, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil and 1 Tbsp minced garlic in saucepan.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until reduced to 4 cups, about 30 minutes.  Transfer in batches to blender, process until smooth.

Makes 4 cups